Torn Apart
by Halen-Rains
Summary: A brief story on what can make even the greatist martial artist cry.


Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. All other rights that I've left out apply  
also.  
  
Torn Apart  
By Halen Rains  
  
  
Ranma sat on the roof of the Tendo dojo looking longingly into the sky. His eyes  
were clouded over and his face streaked from tears. He couldn't help but blame himself  
for what had happened.   
  
Ranma blinked his eyes hard, they burnt terribly. He had broken down after  
coming home from the hospital and fled to the roof to get away from the accusing eyes of  
the Tendo's and his parents. He didn't know how long he'd been there, but it felt like an  
eternity. When the tears had run out he had simply sat there, wishing he could take it  
back. Wishing she was still here and he was gone.  
  
But that wouldn't happen.   
  
Nothing would bring her back to them. He felt so helpless sitting in that waiting  
room. Before he'd always been able to fight to protect everyone, but not now. All his  
training, a life dedicated to the arts, couldn't do a thing to help her or bring her back.   
  
Ryoga stepped silently onto the roof and sat down next to Ranma. He wore a hurt  
look on his face, but not as badly hurt as Ranma. He knew that inside Ranma was  
blaming himself for her death, Ranma was like that. He always had to be strong for  
everyone and when he found out that he was as powerless as the rest of them it crushed  
him.  
  
"I… I don't know why things happen like they do." Ryoga was surprised at how  
strong his voice was, he hadn't been able to say a single word after he'd heard the news.  
He'd never lost someone he cared about before, he didn't think Ranma had either. Sure  
they'd come close to losing Akane during the fight with Saffron, but they hadn't.   
  
Ranma clenched his teeth and closed his eyes. Hearing someone else brought  
back everything that had happened, threatening to throw him farther into depression.  
  
"You couldn't have done anything. There was no way you could have known she  
was going to…" Ryoga's voice died out as he spoke, seeing Ranma's aura sliding into  
familiar territory. Ryoga knew depression better than anyone, and when to shut his  
mouth.  
  
Ranma suddenly whipped around to look at Ryoga. His face filled with anger and  
anguish.  
  
"I should have stopped her." Ranma grabbed Ryoga by the shirt and hauled him  
until they were staring each other in the faces. "It's my fault she's dead." Ryoga tore  
loose from Ranma and backed away.   
  
"No it's not." Ryoga grabbed Ranma and tried to calm him, but Ranma simply  
tossed him across the roof.  
  
"I let her go." Ranma fell to his knees and slumped forward, his hands coming his  
forehead. " I said I'd talk with her tomorrow and put her in that damn car." Ranma's  
voice was weak shaking terribly.   
  
"Ranma…" Akane stepped up behind him and put her hands on his shoulders,  
trying to lend him her strength. She looked up as Ryoga approached them again and knelt  
before the grieving Saotome. Ryoga placed his hand on top of Akane's hand and looked  
up at her. He could see the look in her eyes as well. She felt partially responsible for  
Ukyou's death, although not nearly as much as Ranma.  
  
"I'll leave you two alone." Ryoga let his hand slid from Akane's and leaned close  
to Ranma and began to whisper into his ear.  
  
"Noone blames you for her death…" Ryoga stood slowly and walked back into  
the window he'd used to get to the roof, closing it behind him to block out the  
conversation from everyone inside.  
  
Akane knelt beside Ranma and awkwardly wrapped her arm around her fiancé,  
pulling him close. She laid her check against his back and listened to his heart. When  
Ranma seemed to relax some from her touch, Akane almost jumped.   
  
"If we'd only left with her…" Ranma slowly reached his arm around and gripped  
Akane's hand gently. She was warm despite the chill night air all around them. Ranma  
took a deep breath, it felt like he had taken a blow to the stomach. "I wanted to stay  
longer…with you." He spoke at almost a whisper.  
  
Akane ran her hand over his hair and lifted her head from his back. They had  
been having such a great time at the party that when Ukyou came them ready to leave she  
had been so disappointed. Ranma had taken the quite drunken Ukyou to a car outside and  
asked the boy to drive her home. Neither of them knew he was drunk.  
  
"I know." She hugged him tighter, and wrapped her other arm under him, linking  
her hands and his.   
  
Ranma intertwined his fingers with hers and turned his head to look at her. Her  
eyes were almost as red as his and he pressed his forehead against hers. Closing his eyes  
and only focusing on each labored breath.   
  
"I know…"   
  
Author's notes:  
Ok this is extremely short I know, but this is something I wrote last year that has  
special meaning for me. I found it in my senior english notebook and decided to type it  
out. 


End file.
